The imminent pandemic of cardiovascular disease PART 2

At the same time, it has been noticed that people tend to consume rather same amount or the same volume of food than calories. Food energy density reducing could be an important factor in the prevention and treatment of obesity. Raw fruits and vegetables have naturally an low energy density due to their high water content. Energy density is reduced by the presence of fibers, resistant starch and gums. But something happens – a high density foods are tastier due to their high energy content, especially fats and sugar. Every child prefers chocolate, not spinach.

Most times the energy density is perceived by the taste sense. The more you like a food, the larger amount you ingest. We all have noticed that the taste of sugar and fats silent the satiety normal signals, resulting in the excessive consumption and to gain weight. There is the danger that fats be consumed in too large amount as does not produce the satiety sensation in the same extent as glucides and proteins. Between satiety and energy density is an inverse relationship.

In a survey on 38 foods was searched to determine the satiety rate after the ingestion of servings that contained the same number of calories, ie 240 calories. This amount of energy can be supplied with peanut 38 g, 45 g of chocolate, 625 g of oranges or 1 kg and something of boiled spinach. Foods with low energy density, vegetables, fruits, potatoes, produced a higher feeling of satiety than chocolate, sweets and cookies.

In conditions of an diet without restriction, people tend to consume a fixed weight or volume of food. If the food is distinguishes by the energy density, then there will be differences between daily energy consumption. In fact, the main body mechanism regulating the energy intake is to change the energy density of food. Children, adolescents and young adults consume foods rich in energy, while the elderly reduces the energy intake by consuming more cereals, vegetables and fruits. Let’s not forget that in reality, at all ages, there is the tendency to consume more energy than the body needs.

If chocolate and peanuts provide 5-6 kcal / g and hamburger and fried potatoes 3-4 kcal / g, most vegetables contain a small amount of energy, offering less than 0.5 kcal / g. As a general rule, energy-rich foods are tasty, but NOT nourishing, while a low energy density food produces a higher feeling of satiety.

A study conducted with the US military showed that food preferences were growing according to the energy density of food. For this reason, in the treatment of obesity first is needed a conversation with the person concerned to show that not the accustomed taste should be the main criterion in choosing foods.

At least at the beginning, foods with a higher content of fibers and water might not be so tasty as those rich in sugar and fat. This is why those who doesn’t have will are dropping after a few days to those changes that are so necessary. And it’s a pity, because our tastes change in a few weeks, and the initial efforts will be rewarded not only by returning to a normal weight, but also the culinary enjoyment.

But there’s one more aspect. Phenols, flavonoids, isoflavones, terpenes, glucosinolatele, and other compounds that are found in daily food, have antioxidant and anticancer properties. Chemoprophylaxis, provided by the biological action of substances which are found in cruciferous (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli), green vegetables, soy and fruits (especially citrus) plays an important role in chronic disease prevention. Some do not like vegetables also because of the substances that taste more unusual, a little bitter or astringent. Think about the grapefruit!

There are three categories of chemoprotective agents against cancer:

substances that block the carcinogens metabolic activity;

substances that prevent the formation of carcinogenic precursors;

substances that suppress neoplasia in the cells exposed prior to carcinogens.

By the content in nutrients and taste, phytonutrients with chemopreventive features is the third functional foods component.

The main function of food is to provide nutrients; the second concerns two sensory attributes (taste and flavor); and the third function, independent of the first two, is to prevent diseases at the molecular level. The Creator took care that the vegetarian feeding satisfies the requirements of the human body. Those that for years had not consumed anything of animal origin is good to determine the B12 vitamin.